The present invention relates to a discharge outlet for fibrous product mixers.
Devices for mixing forage with farm and industry by-products (for example molasses), with mineral protein integrators and/or with concentrates such as flours, mashes, pulps etc., are currently used in the field of zootechnics.
Two types of mixers are known, mixers with a vertical mixing action and mixers with a horizontal mixing action.
The vertical type of mixer, in particular, comprises a substantially inverted frustum-like container, wherein one or more vertical worm screws are provided. Each worm screw is substantially composed of a metallic strip wrapped in a spiral around a central shaft.
The spiral has a substantially conical arrangement, since the width of its strip decreases gradually from the bottom upward.
A discharge outlet with a movable closing panel is present on the lateral wall of the container, in a lower region thereof for unloading mixed products.
One or more conveyor belts with single or bilateral outlets are arranged below the discharge outlet.
Although said discharge outlet is valid from a practical point of view, it has been found to be susceptible to improvements.
In particular, it has been observed that parts of floury components tend to escape first, without being mixed together with the rest of the products, when the panel is opened.
Furthermore, it foreign bodies such as pieces of iron or others end up inside the container together with the products being mixed, the fact may occur that said pieces, since they have a higher relative density, become deposited on the bottom of the container and interpose themselves between the outlet and the worm screw during discharge, jamming said worm screw and causing damage to its motor system.
Finally, both when the container is coupled to unloading conveyor belts and when discharge occurs directly through the outlet, the mixed products are expelled in a disorderly manner or, due to the rotation of the worm screw, at an excessive speed.